Gisborne clubbies in thick of action at lifesaving worlds on Gold Coast

Gisborne's Yahni Brown rides the whitewash into shore in the ski leg of the Oceanman event at the Lifesaving World Championships. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

Gisborne’s young talent has been on display on the Gold Coast’s golden sands at the Lifesaving World Championships but it’s the Aussies who have been doing the damage on the scoreboard.

Sophie Petro and Yahni Brown are in the New Zealand Junior Black Fins competing in the Youth National Team section of the worlds.

The youth (under-19) beach and ocean events were held on Kurrawa Beach on Thursday and Friday - a busy two days for Dawson Building Midway club members Petro and Brown.

In Thursday’s programme, Petro placed seventh in the Oceanwoman (ironwoman) final. She was also a member of the New Zealand team which was second in the tube rescue and did the ski leg for the NZ crew which was fifth in the Oceanwoman relay.

Gisborne's Sophie Petro catches a wave during the board leg of the Oceanwoman at the Lifesaving World Championships on the Gold Coast. New Zealand Junior Black Fins team member Petro was seventh in the final. Photo/ Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media.

Brown was sixth in the Oceanman final, second alongside Braith Swanberg in the board rescue, second as part of the men’s beach relay team and did the board leg as New Zealand finished fourth in the Oceanman relay.

Australia won 11 of the 12 events to be top of the leaderboard at the end of the day on 302 points, with New Zealand second on 232 and France third on 213.

In yesterday’s programme, Petro and Brown were sixth in their respective board race finals. They also made the ski final - Brown finishing seventh and Petro 13th.

Midway’s Chris Dawson was in action for the Black Fins in the pool events of the Open National Team competition.

On Thursday, he was sixth in the 100 metres manikin tow with fins and was in Black Fins teams who placed second in the mixed 4x50m lifesaver relay and sixth in the 4x50m obstacle relay.

New Zealand led the points after day one with 217, with Italy on 212 and Australia 197.

Dawson was involved in a number afternoon finals yesterday (after The Herald went to print).

The open ocean and beach events and youth pool events are being held today and tomorrow.

Both New Zealand teams were involved in the Simulated Emergency Response Competition (SERC) on Wednesday. The Dawson-led four-person Black Fins were ninth and the Junior Black Fins were sixth.